In the Woods
by Dinaja
Summary: Sasuke is the best demon hunter money can buy, but with a nine tailed demon fox on his hands, he may have taken on more than he can handle. Yaoi


**In the Woods**

* * *

><p>By the mountain of Myouboku lay a great forest where only few dared travel. It was deep and, according to rumors, a haven for demons of all kinds. Though not many, there were roads and pathways winding through the forest, leading to hidden shrines and villages. One of the roads led to a large clearing, in which stood an old Japanese style manor surrounded by a beautiful garden.<p>

Three travelers followed this road as it emerged from the woods. Sasuke watched them as they made their way to the main hall of the Uchiha manor. His brother was already waiting for them in the hall, ready to take on a mission that, like all his previous, would be completed perfectly. Sasuke longed for a mission himself, but in his case they were usually few and far between.

Observing the strangers from the shadow of the doorway, he leaned forward to slide the _shoji_-door more open. The people working outside stayed clear of his doorway, giving him a clear view of the visitors. The small group consisted of two men, who seemed to be guards, and a blonde woman who probably was the leader. Though they were trying to feign indifference, he could tell they were observing their surroundings intently. They were no doubt curious about the Uchiha compound.

The travelers entered the great hall of the manor and disappeared from his view. He kept staring at the entrance for a few moments before he turned his attention away again. Inhaling deeply, he resumed his meditative silence, letting the familiar image of the clan members working soothe him, the soft breeze cooling him slightly in his light yukata.

Soft voices drifted in from outside as Sasuke shifted to a more comfortable position on the _tatami_ floor. Only a few minutes later he became aware of footsteps in the hallway behind him. They stopped once they had reached his room and a few moments later the sliding door behind him was opened. Sasuke tensed, his resumed calm broken by the unwanted visitor.

"Sasuke," his brother spoke quietly. Sasuke turned slowly, carefully keeping his instincts in check. Itachi was watching him warily; a hint of something dark and cold in his eyes that Sasuke knew was only a minor reflection of what could be seen in his own.

"What?" Sasuke asked, keeping his voice level. Itachi was supposed to be meeting with their clients. If he came here, that would mean… He tried to keep his face impassive, but the look his brother gave him told him that some of his excitement shone through anyway.

"You can hear it first-hand," Itachi answered, apparently concluding that Sasuke had realized the reason he had come.

Itachi led the way back down the hallway, looking visibly disturbed at having his little brother walking behind him. Sasuke took some satisfaction in the fact that he wasn't the only one affected by their cursed blood. The soft swishing of their sandals and yukatas rang loud in the silence.

The sparsely decorated hallway led to a room that adjoined the great hall. The hall was mainly used for formal occasions, while meetings and discussions where held in this room. Sasuke was therefore not surprised to see the three strangers there, sitting on plush pillows with some empty teacups on the low table before them.

The woman sat very composed; the powerful and imposing air of the Uchiha clan main house didn't seem to bother her at all. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her and she met them calmly. She was either very powerful or very arrogant. The two guards didn't seem as comfortable though. Itachi broke the silence.

"Thank you for your patience. This is Sasuke-kun, my little brother. I believe he will be more qualified than me to fulfill this mission. Could you please fill him in?"

They all eyed the younger brother critically and, after a few moments of silence, the woman spoke up.

"Itachi-sama, I know your clan has high standards, and that you are taught to fight from an early age, but I don't think you're taking this seriously. This man is even younger than you!"

Sasuke felt some irritation at her ignorance and polite wording, but the amusement won out in the end. He could make out the pained expression of one of the guards, even though his face was half covered with a mask. The man was undoubtedly aware of the woman's mistake. Itachi sighed next to him.

"Tsunade-hime, you may not be aware of this, but the real reason behind our strength is not our training." Without looking at Sasuke, Itachi continued.

"The Uchiha clan is descended from a powerful demon, one that lived many, many years ago. The blood has, of course, thinned out over the generations, and we are now far more human than we are demons. The most powerful in our clan are those in which the demon blood runs strong. Sasuke-kun's blood happens to be stronger than mine."

The woman, Tsunade, looked inquiringly at the masked man at her left. He gave her a small nod. When she turned back, her presence seemed to swell and fill the room. Tsunade spoke firmly, eyes fixed on Sasuke.

"Very well. Sasuke-sama, I will inform you about the mission. Just be aware that it will not be easy, nor will-"

"Stop patronizing me."

All eyes turned to Sasuke as he rudely interrupted the beginning of her explanation. He leaned casually against the wall behind him. This earned him glares of varying degrees from the room's other occupants, with the exception of the man with the mask, who seemed to be hiding a smile under the cloth. Absently wondering what it was with that man, Sasuke turned his eyes back to the woman.

"I'm not a child and I'm not gonna listen to your lectures. Just tell me 'bout the mission."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed dangerously at his inappropriate informality. For a moment he was sure she would blow her mask, but in the end she gave in, her voice carefully impassive.

"The land upon which our village is built was once ruled over by the Kyuubi, king of the foxes. When our ancestors decided to take the land for their own, they asked for the help of one of the demon hunters from your clan, in addition to the greatest seal master of that time, namely Minato Namikaze. Together they defeated the demon and sealed it in human form.

The demon refused to leave the settlers alone however, and Minato decided to seal it away in a shrine before the people called for its complete extermination.

Now it has been freed from the shrine and it is terrorizing our village again. Seeing as there no longer are seal masters at Minato's level, we ask you Uchiha to take care of the demon."

Sasuke frowned thoughtfully. Why would they want to build the village on the territory of the nine-tailed demon fox? It seemed like a pretty stupid idea to him, unless they had wanted the fight. Then he could understand. It didn't really matter though; the important thing was that he would get to fight the demon.

He turned to the doorway, ready to return to his room and get his things together before leaving. He was halted by the sharp voice of the blonde woman.

"Where are you going?"

Sasuke barely turned his head. "I'm gonna go pack my things. We'll leave in an hour." He ignored his brother's irritated look as he left the room, already looking forward to meeting the demon and, hopefully, defeat it.

(page break)

The village Tsunade and her companions had come from, Konoha, lay a week's travel south-east of the Uchiha manor. The small group travelled on foot through the thick forest, following dirt roads and narrow forest trails. Yamato, the more professional of the two guards Tsunade had brought, lead the way, followed by Tsunade herself. Sasuke and the second guard, Kakashi, made up the rear of their party.

The days were long, and filled with little communication apart from Tsunade's drunken exclamations. The delegation had received several gifts from the Uchiha clan, in addition to supplies for the journey back to their village. Among them were several bottles of sake, which Tsunade had been drinking heartily from, as if they contained water and not alcohol. Sasuke had never understood the point of drinking, and neither did he understand why an alcoholic, which she obviously was, would be chosen as an important leader.

When they had made camp for the night, Kakashi struck up a conversation with him. Everyone was still awake and gathered around the fire.

"Say, Sasuke…" Kakashi's eyes didn't move from the dark spot of forest he was watching, but Sasuke felt like he was being observed all the same. "I know the hierarchy of the Uchiha clan is based largely on power, and that it is supported by a council of clan elders. I've also heard a lot about Itachi. Hell, anyone with any connection to your clan knows there's something special about Itachi."

He received a sharp look from Yamato at his cursing, but he appeared not to notice as he finally turned his head to look at Sasuke.

"So how come we haven't heard about you?" Sasuke met his eyes but didn't speak. The only sound in their clearing was of the soft breeze in the trees and the crackling of the fire. Tension slowly built up as the others waited for him to speak. Sasuke didn't break eye contact with the other man. Narrowing his eyes, he answered him with a question of his own.

"How come you know so much about the clan?" Sasuke shifted his position, reacting to the tension in the air and readying himself for confrontation. Kakashi broke the tense atmosphere as he spread his hands, his eyes crinkling up in a good natured smile.

"Maa, it's okay, I used to have a friend there, that's all."

His eyes lowered and Sasuke relaxed slightly, knowing there would be no confrontation. The two others watched him with wary eyes the rest of the night.

(page break)

The night before their last day of travel Sasuke and Kakashi were sitting by the fire, their conversation having eventually faded away with the increasing lateness. The guard occasionally sipped from a sake bottle he had snuck away from Tsunade, a small celebration of the end of their journey. A small piece of sky was visible between the trees and the stars there blinked down on them from above, the moon hidden by one of the many hills in the area. The night felt peaceful, despite the unnatural silence of the forest that was normally filled with the sounds of its many habitants.

Sasuke was thinking of getting some rest before the morning when he picked up on a disturbance in the woods around them. For a few moments he sat still, his head turned towards the trees to his right. Then he got up and stepped into the brush. He felt Kakashi's eyes following him, but the guard didn't try to stop him.

The thick vegetation made it hard to move as silently as he wanted, so he was sure that anyone ahead of him was well aware of his coming. Finally the brush seemed to clear up. Sasuke found himself entering a large glade, the side across from him illuminated by the moonlight. A small creek ran along the edge of the clearing, and a human shape could be seen crouching beside it. As Sasuke neared, it rose and turned to face him.

He stopped his approach and stared at the young man before him. He could easily make out his appearance, the blonde hair colored silver by the moonlight and his broad shoulders and strong jaw giving him the look of a handsome young man. His face was hard as he watched Sasuke in return. The contrast between his light skin and the whisker-shaped lines on his cheeks was very prominent.

"You're from the Uchiha clan," the other spoke quietly as his blue eyes narrowed. Sasuke wondered for a moment how he had found out, before realizing that his eyes had probably turned into the characteristic red color of the Uchiha clan, the most visible aspect of their demonic heritage. He let a small smirk curl his lips as he responded.

"And you're the Kyuubi, right?" The demon glared at him.

"I have a name, you know! I'm Naruto and I'm the one in charge around here!" He pointed his thumb at himself as he spoke. Sasuke let the smirk slip from his lips.

"Doesn't matter. I've come here to kill you."

Naruto merely looked at him for a few seconds, lingering on the red eyes. His eyes widened as he seemed to have a revelation.

"You're the same as Madara, aren't you?" Sasuke felt his anger bubbling up. No, he wasn't like Madara, nothing like Madara. The Uchiha clan had learnt from their mistakes.

With a swift move he was behind Naruto, one hand curling around his throat. Naruto reached up and gripped the appendage with one hand, not really pulling it away, but ready to do so if Sasuke increased the pressure.

"You're out of shape," Sasuke whispered in Naruto's ear and felt him shudder. "Perhaps you've been human for too long."

"Shut up," Naruto growled. "You just caught me off guard. That's all."

"Hmm. So you're saying you trusted me enough to let down your guard?" Sasuke said, amused at the other's failed justification. They were both aware that the move shouldn't have been possible against a demon of Naruto's power.

Tightening his grip on Sasuke's wrist, Naruto made a sound of frustration. With no warning he threw himself backwards, overbalancing Sasuke in the process. They both fell back into the small creek. The water was cold and the stones at the bottom were hard and sharp. He lost his grip on the demon, and Naruto used the opportunity to turn around. Now on top of Sasuke, he tried to restrain the movements of the black haired boy. Luckily Sasuke recovered quickly from the fall and was able to counter.

Soon they were rolling around in the grass, both wrestling for control but neither managing to gain the upper hand. Sasuke could make out the darkened eyes, could feel claws ripping through his clothes where Naruto tried to get a steady grip on him and felt the adrenaline pumping through him.

Then, suddenly, he was on his back, Naruto's fangs sinking into the juncture of his shoulder and neck where his yukata had slid back to reveal skin. With a deep, involuntary exhale he felt his body go slack.

Naruto's body was crouched closely above him, the warmth of it very pleasant in the cool night. Sasuke relaxed completely, watching the stars twinkling above him with half-lidded eyes. He was vaguely aware that Naruto was doing something he shouldn't be doing, but all he was able to focus on was the delicious throbbing of the bite. A soft moan escaped his lips as the fangs sank deeper and he felt the warm body press closer.

Then Naruto released the flesh between his teeth and the spell broke. Horrified, Sasuke realized that Naruto had effectively managed to immobilize him, his wrists held in a secure grip and his lower body held in a lock by Naruto's legs. The position resulted in Naruto's body lying flush against his, a feeling not unpleasant, but definitely unwanted at the moment. He felt Naruto give a playful lick to his wound, sending a small jolt of pain through his body as if to wake him further. He shuddered.

"What the hell…." Sasuke's voice was hoarse. Naruto's head rose from his neck and he stared at the grinning demon's face. There was blood dripping from his lips, Sasuke's blood, and they curled up to reveal white teeth and elongated fangs. The red eyes were watching him intensely, pupils slit like those of a fox. There was a pleased look on his face.

Naruto leant down again, resting his forehead against Sasuke's and looking firmly into his eyes. Sasuke felt Naruto's warm breath touch his lips with every breath and, looking into eyes that were already changing back to blue, he had the strangest urge to kiss him. A drop hit his lips, from Naruto no doubt. He scowled in distaste, thinking it was drool, but when his tongue tasted it, he realized it was blood.

"I win," the blond demon said and Sasuke was abruptly pulled back to the grim reality of his situation. He was on his back, restrained and easily vulnerable. The only weapon he had left at this point was his voice. He doubted it would do him any good.

Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly when he received no answer, but then he smiled and lowered his face further, smearing blood on Sasuke's cheek and whispering in his ear.

"I wanna fight you for real next time."

Sasuke felt him release his hold on him, but didn't move as he heard the soft rustle that marked the demon's exit. Absently he noted that Naruto made far less noise than he himself had done.

When only his breathing was left to fill the silence, he finally got up, wincing in pain when he moved his shoulder. Wearily he made his way back to the camp.

"There was a demon following us," he answered to Kakashi's questioning look. The bite he didn't mention, hiding it under the collar of the yukata.

(page break)

It was already late in the afternoon when they arrived in Konoha. The bustling village lay in a hollow between the great mountain and one of the many surrounding hills and was as such rather hard to find if one didn't know one's way. There was a rather somber atmosphere there, strengthened by the many damaged buildings, but people seemed to cheer up once they recognized Tsunade and they greeted her with much enthusiasm.

The blonde woman led the way to the stone fort in the center of the village, the walls of which many places were reduced to rubble. Sasuke had no doubt whose fault that was. Strangely enough, there didn't appear to be any repairs going on.

They passed through the large crooked wooden doors and entered the courtyard, which was littered with large stone slabs and rubble. Some youths were working on gathering them in piles, a few uniformed men helping them with the larger blocks. All of them were being directed by a small black-haired woman who, when she noticed them, hurried over.

"Tsunade-hime, you're back! I'm so glad you made it safely, and, did you get help?" She looked over the group eagerly, but seemed to deflate when she noticed the only person they had brought with them was Sasuke.

"Um… Did they…"

"No, they didn't refuse, and yes, this brat's all we got. Now give me my sake, Shizune." Sasuke snorted at Tsunade's order and heard Kakashi sigh next to him. Tsunade had awoken that morning only to find that there was no more alcohol left. As a result she had been grumpy the entire day.

"Tsunade-hime!" Shizune seemed appalled by the blonde woman's manners and looked at Sasuke to apologize. Before she had the chance, however, Tsunade interrupted sulkily.

"Don't you go apologize to him. That brat has no respect whatsoever." Sasuke looked away disinterestedly. It was true. He had no respect for the alcoholic woman, leader or not. Shizune seemed to realize this and turned back to Tsunade.

"Fine. Just come with me to your office then and I'll bring you your sake." She looked at the two guards. "You two are dismissed."

Yamato gave a curt nod to Tsunade and Shizune before leaving while Kakashi gave him a cheerful wave first. They disappeared quickly between the many other uniformed men. Shizune turned her attention to Sasuke next.

"You'll be staying here at the fort for the time being. I'll have a guard show you your room. Things are a bit of a chaos around here at the moment, so if you want something, you'll have to ask around."

He nodded and she turned, waving one of the uniformed men over to her and giving him instructions. Sasuke followed him quietly through the busy fort, taking note of the surroundings. The floor was wooden and the walls were covered with tapestries depicting all kinds of mythological creatures. Sasuke recognized many of them from his missions.

The walls themselves were thick and built of stone, though he doubted that would give any protection from Naruto when he went on a rampage. Catching a glimpse of the broken wall through one of the few small windows that were, he remembered his curiosity from earlier.

"Why aren't the walls being restored?"

The guard turned back to look at him for a moment before continuing on ahead. "The construction workers were scared away by the demon fox. There wasn't enough time to do much between the attacks anyway though," he answered.

"Hn."

It took them only a few minutes to reach their destination. The guard only waited long enough for him to see the room and ask if Sasuke had any questions before leaving. The room he had been assigned was on the second floor and was small enough that the bed and desk alone filled half the space.

Testing the softness of the mattress, Sasuke sat down on the bed. He wasn't sure how long he would have to stay here before Naruto attacked, but he hoped it wouldn't be long. He hadn't even stayed in town for two hours and he was already longing for the forest.

Meanwhile, he had other things to do. Pushing the collar of his yukata back, he touched the bandages covering Naruto's bite. It seemed to be healing well, but there were other things bothering him about it. Sasuke was among the elite of the Uchiha clan and had studied demons since he was old enough to read, yet he had never heard of any non-poisonous bite having such a potent effect. The whole experience had been thoroughly disturbing, so he resolved to do some research about it to find out how to avoid it or counter it.

More pressing however, was the need for new clothes. His yukata had suffered many rips and stains during his fight with Naruto and he needed to look presentable if he wanted to get permission to use Konoha's archives. He picked up the bag he had dropped on the wooden floor and searched through it for the money he had brought. Putting them in his belt pouch, he opened the heavy wooden door to his room. He frowned at the heavy creaking it emitted.

The floorboards in the narrow hallway groaned likewise as he followed the same route out as the guard had shown him, and he wondered absently if maybe the wood was longing for the forest too.

(page break)

Sasuke groaned as he put away yet another unsatisfying scroll. Konoha's archive was a dusty old room that had been stuffed full of more books and scrolls than there actually was space for. For the last two days Sasuke had perused all the scrolls he could find that pertained to demons and their behavior, but he still hadn't found what he was looking for.

Sighing tiredly, he pushed a stable of books and scrolls off the only desk in the room, simultaneously making room for more scrolls and taking revenge on them for keeping him locked up in the room.

"I think the librarian would have you arrested if he saw how you abuse his dear scrolls. They are rather valuable, you know?"

Sasuke glared at the silver-haired man who had interrupted him. "I don't give a damn about the librarian and, frankly, I care even less about these documents. Why are you here anyway?"

Kakashi waved a hand at the accusing tone. "I'm just being friendly. Thought you might want some company."

"Well, I don't, so you can go back where you came from."

Kakashi shook his head. "Someone's in a bad mood. Not finding what you're looking for?"

Sasuke ignored him and picked up a new scroll to read through. Kakashi seemed to take this as a yes.

"Well then, do you want me to help you?"

Sasuke's breath caught. He looked up at Kakashi again, suddenly seeing him in a new light. Why hadn't he thought of this before?

"You know a lot about demons, right?" Sasuke asked hopefully.

"Yes, I like to think so at least. Why?" Kakashi seemed puzzled at the thought that Sasuke would need help with something of demon nature. Sasuke considered the wisdom of asking the other man for help before deciding that his pride wasn't strong enough to make him stay in the gloomy room any longer when he already had a possible way out.

Briefly he told Kakashi about the biting incident, leaving out the identity of the demon he had fought. When he was done Kakashi stared at him with surprise on his face. Sasuke nearly growled in irritation.

"Well, I don't expect many humans know what it is." His eyes crinkled in amusement. "After all, most humans don't want get near demons, let alone mate with them."

Sasuke stayed silent as the implications of the statement washed over him. Then he actually did growl out loud, a low, threatening rumble that came from deep within his chest. His fists clenched painfully hard. That damn fox!

Then the realized the rest of the implications and his anger dissipated somewhat as he turned to look at Kakashi with wide eyes. Had he really…? The silver-haired man's smile seemed to grow wider under the mask and Sasuke decided that he really, really didn't want to know.

(page break)

Though the demon was standing in the middle of the street, no one seemed to take notice of him. Sasuke had been searching the market for a stall with good quality tomatoes when he happened to see him. Naruto himself seemed oblivious to his attention, staring intensely at the fort with an angry scowl on his face.

He found it fascinating how different Naruto looked during the day, colors no longer warped by darkness and moonlight. His hair shone like pale gold in the sunlight and his skin, which in the moonlight had looked pale, was revealed to be a warm tan. He was wearing a pair of faded orange pants and a dirty white shirt.

Sasuke stayed still as he weighed his options. Was it better to attack him now or should he wait until Naruto made a move first? Either way would have much the same consequences, but the first would give him a slight advantage. Had it been a lesser demon Sasuke wouldn't have hesitated, but he already knew Naruto was strong. For some reason he felt that he deserved more than that.

Sasuke smirked. He didn't need advantages anyway. With confident steps, like a hunter approaching its prey, he walked over to stand in front of the demon.

Naruto didn't seem surprised to see him. He merely turned his hateful glare from the fort to Sasuke.

"Thought you'd be here," he stated with his husky voice. "They hired you right? These…" He looked at the townspeople surrounding them. "…humans," he finished with a disgusted tone. Sasuke didn't answer, though he kept watching him intently. Naruto had already proven to be the most unpredictable demon he had faced, and he had no wish to be taken aback again.

Naruto nodded anyway, as if Sasuke's silence answered for him. His blue eyes appeared deceptively calm, only a hint of something darker and more primal inside. At his sides, hands were curling into fists.

"You know what they did to me?" Naruto looked towards the fort as he spoke, his eyes darkening further and his lips drawn in a thin line. Sasuke felt the tension rise, could feel the power building within the demon disguised as a normal man. Even the normal people walking by him seemed to notice, unconsciously giving him a wider berth and some of them giving him strange looks. Naruto seemed oblivious to it however, struggling to find the right words. As Sasuke braced himself, he briefly wondered what the people here had done to make him so angry.

Finally Naruto gave up on articulating himself, instead growling fiercely, "It was mine!"

Sasuke had no idea what he meant, but he didn't get a chance to think it over when Naruto lashed out at him, the energy he'd felt earlier now taking on a visible shape around the demon. He evaded the clumsy attack with ease, watching Naruto with fascination. The bright orange energy covered the demon like a coat, remolding his body into an unrecognizable shape. Perhaps it was changing him to his original form? Sasuke didn't know, but if it did…

Naruto, or what had used to be Naruto, lunged at him again and he dodged, moving down the street and away from the fort. Around them people were screaming and fleeing, but they might as well be mice for all that either of them noticed, Sasuke flitting fluidly between them and Naruto stomping on any poor person who happened to be blocking the way.

Sasuke glanced behind him. The humanoid creature seemed to have grown in size and had taken on a red hue, red like blood, or maybe darker, like fresh meat. Four tails were moving wildly behind it. Sasuke singled out a three story house further down the street and feinted towards it. Unable to turn as quickly as him, Naruto hit the building hard and the entire thing seemed to collapse over him.

Pausing for a moment, Sasuke studied the scene emerging from the dust cloud. The demon looked even larger than before as it rose from the rubble, a fifth tail having joined the others. He watched with worry as everything in contact with the red energy seemed to sizzle out of existence. Better not let the demon touch him.

Once he was sure Naruto could see him again, he resumed his fast paced sprint. Soon there weren't houses surrounding them, but old oak and birch trees. Sasuke found it easy to judge the distance to the demon behind as he continued up the slope of the mountain. It seemed like Naruto was too enraged to care about the poor trees standing between him and his target.

Deciding the distance to the town was great enough, Sasuke finally turned to face the now seven-tailed monster following him. He let the tight grip on his emotions go for the first time since his last mission, and felt power surge through him, fully awakening his body and his senses. He looked at Naruto with red eyes, the same eyes the great Madara had once had, the eyes of the ten-tailed demon he had descended from, and he let his lips draw back in a challenging grin.

Catching a glimpse of the trees behind the many waving tails, Sasuke focused. With a delicious feeling, like stretching a long unused muscle, he let the power flow, willing the black flames of the ancient demon's most devastating ability into existence. Dodging Naruto when the demon caught up to him, he darted to its left and poured more energy into the flames. The midnight flame spread, following Sasuke's directions as he led it in a ring around the wild demon, occasionally forced to evade Naruto's overpowered strikes that left large craters in the forest ground.

He felt the sting of branches hitting him as he ran, unavoidable when moving at his speed, as well as the rough bark rubbing against his hands when he climbed past the living obstacles. Naruto, who, like Sasuke had thought, now had transformed fully into his original form, was growling and roaring in frustration as he missed Sasuke's small form time after time. The deafening sound of splintering wood was everywhere, as if it were a thousand wooden houses being destroyed instead of just trees.

Sasuke closed the ring of fire, sealing the trap he had set up and ensuring his victory. That was the thing about demons. They always followed their instincts, leaving them with little sense of battle tactics and easy prey for Sasuke. Naruto was clearly no different, despite his prolonged stay in human form.

The primary goal in luring Naruto into the trap was that he here could simply fight until Naruto was worn enough for the seal to take effect again. Judging by the time it took to achieve the original nine-tailed form, Naruto had fought an uphill battle to free his power. He wouldn't be able to maintain this state for long. There was a faster way of doing it though.

Sasuke located the seal within the fox with his eyes, and, with the same ease he had expanded his flames, he poured power into it, strengthening it. For a brief moment a faint ghost of the giant creature remained, before the energy dissipated, leaving only flashes of orange in the air.

He hurried towards the dematerialized area were the nine-tailed demon had been standing, knowing Naruto would be there. Sasuke hoped to make it there before Naruto got away. Though he wouldn't get far before he was stopped by the black flames, Sasuke's trap was wide, and he had no wish to search the wrecked forest for a small human. It could take hours.

Luckily Naruto was still there when Sasuke arrived. He was stumbling around, tripping over fallen tree trunks like he was drunk. He guessed Naruto hadn't regained his coordination from the quick transition back to human yet.

He heard a thud and a growl as Naruto once more fell, falling out of sight for the few moments it took for him to get back on his feet. Sasuke was by this time close enough to notice that not all demonic traits were gone; claws still adorned his hands and feet, and the eyes gleaming up at him were red, though not the same shade he knew his own to be. There was no trace of the clothes Naruto had been wearing, probably all lost in the transformation.

Sasuke let his red eyes roam over the demon's body, the barely suppressed energy within making his senses tingle. Naruto was full of scratches from his falls, and Sasuke grinned, pleased by his obvious victory.

The blond demon seemed to have other thoughts in mind though, as he stumbled towards Sasuke and raised his arm to hit him. Sasuke didn't let him, instead delivering a solid kick to his middle, sending Naruto crumpling back to the forest floor. When he still rose and tried again, Sasuke growled in irritation. He had won and Naruto should acknowledge that, so why was he still resisting?

This time, when he kicked Naruto's legs out from beneath him, he followed him down, straddling his hips and pinning his arms and legs. Sasuke felt his anger growing as Naruto still continued to struggle, wriggling and pushing in every possible direction while trying to get free. He wanted to make him lay still, to make him realize that Sasuke was the one in charge now.

The constant rubbing and the close proximity was becoming really distracting. His eyes slid to half-mast and a dark growl rumbled in his chest as he took in the warmth from the body underneath him. It reminded him of the night he had first met Naruto, except this time, he was on top and, no longer suppressing his powers, Sasuke was very aware of the immense energy that burned right beneath the human skin.

Before he was quite aware of what he was doing, he was pressing his mouth underneath Naruto's chin, gradually opening his mouth and letting his teeth press against the skin as he moved lower. Instincts and feelings he had never known before now seemed to rule him. Finding the right place, he bit down harshly, at the same time lowering himself against the body beneath him and moving one hand to tangle in thick blond hair. Naruto arched up against him and Sasuke rocked his hips into him, pushing him back into the ground in a way that must have hurt, but Naruto only let out a small whimper at the action.

Was this how Naruto had felt when he'd bitten him? It was such an intoxicating feeling, being in complete control of the creature lying there beneath him. Sasuke lightened the pressure of his jaws and allowed himself to enjoy the feel of Naruto's body underneath him. The demon was warm, and he could feel the sharp contours of his body through his clothes. He was very decidedly male, but as soon as Sasuke had had the thought, he no longer could remember why it should matter. The coarse, blonde hair on the demon's head made for a good handhold. He tugged at it, forcing Naruto to bare more of his neck.

The action earned him a groan, followed by Naruto once more pressing his body against him. Sasuke was momentarily taken aback by the hardness he felt pressing into his stomach. Naruto was enjoying this, was excited by it. He recalled Kakashi's words about the bite, that it was an instrument of demon mating, and had a moment of rational thought. Was he really going to mate with this demon, with Naruto? Doubt filled him and nearly caused him to pull back. Then indignation filled him.

Naruto had thought himself stronger than him, the dominant one, had held him down the same way he now was holding him down, had bitten him, and he was supposed to let him go with just a slap on his hand after he had refused to acknowledge his own defeat? No, he was going to do this; he was going to show him who was in charge.

He moved his free hand down to pull down his pants, ripped and dirty from his run in the forest, and reached for his own erection. A soft moan escaped him as his hand encircled his length, pulling the rapidly hardening organ free from the material. It felt so good to touch himself this way, the sensation better than anything he had felt before. Masturbation was something he had abstained from, seeing as it required him to lower his guard and to allow his feelings to reign, which was unacceptable if he wanted to keep his instincts under control.

Letting go of Naruto's hair, Sasuke reached down to spread the muscular legs of Naruto's human form. Naruto went with it, making place for him as he knelt between his thighs and even arching up slightly, as if trying to relieve his erection against Sasuke's stomach. Though Sasuke was unable to see his face, he could imagine the dazed look that he must be wearing.

He took the time to rub himself a few times, enjoying the taste of what he'd been forbidden, before he positioned himself against Naruto's hole. Raising his head from the bloody neck, he panted heavily for a few seconds. The body beneath him tensed up as Naruto started to come back to his senses. Noticing the change, Sasuke pulled his head back and smirked at him. He was rewarded with blotted teeth and a soft growl. Naruto started to twist his body, probably trying get away from him. Before he could, Sasuke bit down on his neck again, at the same time pushing his cock past the first ring of muscle.

There was no resistance from Naruto, no constricting muscles around him, but still it was almost unbearably tight. He forced himself to ignore the discomfort and pressed forward until he was fully sheathed. There he paused, instinctually aware that moving too fast would hurt them both.

Eventually, Naruto started to squirm under him, though whether it was in discomfort or impatience Sasuke didn't know. Either way he took it as a sign to continue, and he went on to pull out slightly, giving a few experimental thrusts while not knowing exactly what to expect. The friction was both painful and pleasurable at the same time, and he had trouble deciding whether he liked the feeling or not.

Slowly the intensity of Sasuke's movements increased. Harder, faster, deeper he went, until the slapping of their skin meeting sounded loud in the unnaturally quiet forest. As he felt Naruto's arms encircle him around his back, a new feeling, unfamiliar to him like most feelings were, bloomed in him. He couldn't make out its significance, other than the fact that it was enhancing his sensations and consequently leading to the realization that this might possibly be the best thing he'd ever experienced. Even the clawed hands digging bloody gashes into his back couldn't ruin the glory of it. They did make him wince however.

He didn't last long past his revelation, the pleasure catching up to him and the muscles tightening around him together easily bringing him to his climax. He shuddered heavily, taken aback by the powerful feeling that was riding his senses. When Sasuke came to himself, he found he was lying on top of Naruto, covering him like a blanket. A warm, pleased and satisfied blanket, and most likely heavy too.

Sasuke felt their skin touch as they breathed heavily, felt their bodies still rubbing against each other and was too tired at the moment to do anything about it.

After some time he released Naruto's neck from his now blunt teeth, but he didn't move before the demon hit his side in a sign to get off him. Then he slipped out and rolled lazily to his left, rising to a crouch in the same elegant maneuver. He also managed to pull his pants back up.

Naruto scowled at him as he too sat up, but seemed somewhat cowed for the moment. He scratched at his back with irritated movements, and Sasuke was amused to see bits of branches and debris fall of from were they had adhered to the sticky skin. Naruto looked nearly completely human now; the whisker-like marks on his face the only evidence of his true nature.

"Thought you were gonna kill me," Naruto said, still with a glare in his eyes, but with a quiet voice. "Didn't you say that was the reason you came here?"

He could still kill him easily, if he wanted to. He didn't. Instead he asked the question that had been on his mind since Tsunade first told him about the mission. "Why are you so angry at them?"

Naruto's eyes widened slightly at the question, then his face gained the same expression of bitter anger that Sasuke had seen on him before their fight had started.

"You wanna know what they did to me?" Naruto got up on his feet and turned to look at the forest surrounding them. Sasuke discovered that his nude, soiled body did nothing to lessen his beauty when he continued speaking while waving his hands towards the forest.

"I once ruled this land. The nine-tailed fox, king of the forest. That's what they used to call me. The humans travelling through this part of the forest used to pay me offerings for my protection. They even built me a shrine!"

He turned back again to meet Sasuke's eyes, fisting his hands on his sides and baring his teeth. "I never would've let them build a fortress in my forest, not to mention a village. Still they came here, and for some reason thought that this would be a good place to settle. I was the only the only thing in their way so, they hired the Uchiha clan and a grand seal master to seal me in human form so that I wouldn't be a danger to anyone." His look turned somewhat thoughtful as he continued to watch Sasuke.

"I killed many from your clan back then. Even when they worked together, they weren't strong enough to defeat me. In the end, it was the clan head that finally brought me down." Naruto paused for a moment, as if to judge his reaction. Sasuke was starting to realize where this was heading, but he kept his face impassive.

"That man… He wasn't human. He wasn't a demon either, he was…" Naruto intensified his look, and Sasuke almost felt like it was him being described and not some legendary warrior from the past.

"He was something in between. Half demon, half human and insanely powerful. His name was Madara."

Naruto sat down on a fallen tree trunk a few meters away, never breaking eye contact.

"You're the same as him, aren't you?"

Sasuke chose to stay silent; Naruto had hit the nail dead on. Taking his silence for the confirmation it was, Naruto nodded thoughtfully. He scratched at his cheek and rubbed slightly at a spot of drying blood he encountered.

"You're not as strong as him though. Maybe you're too young?"

Sasuke knew the reason of course, but he didn't feel thrilled at the prospect of giving away one of the clan secrets to Naruto. Not when he had just decided not to kill him. Still, Naruto's intentions seemed good-hearted and he felt compelled to answer him.

"No, that's not it," he replied quietly, looking away from Naruto's inquisitive eyes and focusing on a former tree crown lying some distance away from them, most of its foliage still intact.

Naruto kept his eyes on him, waiting for him to continue, but after half a minute had passed and Sasuke still hadn't said another word, he seemed to realize that an explanation wasn't forthcoming.

"C'mon, you can tell me, I won't snitch. Who'd I tell anyway? The trees?" The last part he said somewhat bitterly. Again Sasuke stayed silent, this time contemplating the implications of Naruto's statement. Meanwhile, Naruto had adopted a thoughtful look, and after a few moments filled only by the sound of their breathing and a slight breeze in the surrounding treetops. Then Naruto advanced slowly on him, head and body held in a subservient pose.

"Say…" He halted in front of him, a hopeful look in his eyes. "Why don't you stay here with me?"

It was a question Sasuke could easily answer. "I can't."

Naruto's face fell and Sasuke felt almost guilty for denying him his company.

"Why?" Naruto asked dejectedly. Sasuke eyed him and felt his expression soften.

"I can't tell you." Naruto glanced up at him as if to judge whether he was speaking the truth or not. Sasuke watched the blue eyes flicker as they watched him, before they narrowed in a belligerent glare. Naruto straightened his posture, coming eye-level with Sasuke and raising his chin in provocation.

"Then I'll attack the village again. There'll be nothing here to stop me when you're gone." Sasuke held his gaze steadily, showing no reaction to Naruto's statement. Eventually, Naruto lowered his eyes and shifted slightly on his feet, looking like a child who had just been reprimanded. It was the sign Sasuke had been waiting for, that Naruto instinctually accepted him as dominant.

"Do that and I'll have no choice but to kill you. If I stay here, the clan will mark me as a rogue and put an execution order on me." Naruto's expression seemed to be caught between shock at the severity and a grimace at his loss. Sasuke felt the corners of his lips twitch at the comical expression. Truly, he would have stayed with Naruto if he could. The demon was more fun and excitement than he'd had in years, and he could only imagine what it'd be like to live with him every day. The Uchiha clan would only let him leave the house occasionally to hunt demons, and in the long intervals between he wasn't allowed to do anything. The lower clan members who worked at the house were too afraid of him to be able to work with him.

"There's no way then," Naruto said dejectedly. He met Sasuke's eyes again and seemed to search for some confirmation. Sasuke shook his head slowly. They stood in silence for a few seconds, neither of them sure what to do, but both knowing that this would be goodbye. Then Sasuke moved forward and grabbed Naruto by his blond hair, pulling him forward to smash their lips together. The kiss was short and hard, but it was how Sasuke liked it. They were not fragile and sappy humans and he would not pretend they were.

Sasuke drew back to rest hi forehead against Naruto's and met his eyes firmly. "I'll be back."

He let go of the demon and turned back to the trail of destruction Naruto had made, intending to follow it back to the village. From behind he heard Naruto calling to him. "You better be!"

(page break)

His brother was waiting for him at the path leading to the house. Sasuke felt the instinctive rush of adrenaline that always came at the challenge he presented and found it harder to suppress than expected. He hadn't realized he'd lost so much control in his absence.

The Uchiha headquarters was just as he'd remembered it, not that he'd expected anything else. It was a sunny day, so there were plenty people working outside, tending the garden and sweeping the walkways. Itachi greeted him with a curt nod before he turned, leading the way to the great hall. Clearly the elders of the clan wanted to hear his report of the nine-tails first-hand.

They reached the finely decorated door and Itachi slid it open. The soft hiss of well maintained wood and paper sliding reminded him of a snake waiting to pounce from the inside and he narrowed his eyes as the elders came into sight were they sat, seiza style. Itachi stepped inside and knelt by the entrance, having fulfilled his purpose by bringing Sasuke before them. Sasuke passed him, moving to stand in the middle of the floor and meeting the eyes of every council member. A few of them returned his stare with narrowed eyes, and he could almost feel their hatred for him. They were all too aware how little control they had over him.

An elderly woman at the end of the line cleared her throat. "Your mission was to slay the abominable nine-tailed demon fox that was preying on the innocent townsfolk. Please give your report."

Sasuke snorted at her description of Naruto, ignoring the irritated scowls he received.

"I met him in the village while he was preparing to attack the fort." He studied the framework of the walls to his right. There was no reason to tell them about the first meeting.

"I managed to lead him out of the village, so the damage was limited. Once we were at a safe distance, I trapped him with the black flames and subdued him." He stopped speaking, an image of the naked blonde-haired demon entering his thoughts. His eyes narrowed unconsciously as he reminisced, unsettling the elders who were waiting for the conclusion to the already painfully lacking report.

"Then you… executed him," the woman who'd spoken earlier said, seemingly tired of the silence. Sasuke remembered the challenge in Naruto's blue eyes and felt a smirk form on his lips.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I did."

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